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Tears were burning my eyes as I tried not to get emotional. Steed dropped the tests, grabbed me, and picked me up in his arms.
“We’re having a baby! We’re having a baby!” he said while squeezing me.
He quickly put me down. “Shit! I squeezed you!”
Laughing, I wiped my tears away. “It’s okay. I’m sure the baby is nice and safe in there.”
Steed took a step closer and threaded his fingers in my hair, the palms of his hands on my face.
“We’re having a baby, Pax.”
I half-cackled, half-cried.
Wow.
The last few months we had come full circle. My heart felt like it was floating in my chest.
“Crazy three months, huh?” I said while he pressed his forehead to mine.
“The best three months of my life,” he answered softly.
“We better go tell Amelia and Cord,” I said with a giggle.
The moment we walked into the living room, they both jumped up. Cord almost looked sick, and I knew memories of ten years ago were floating about in his mind.
“So? Am I getting another niece or nephew?” Amelia asked.
I remained quiet, letting Steed tell them.
Squeezing my hand, he chuckled. “Yes, you’re going to be an aunt again.”
Amelia jumped up and down and Cord rushed over to me. He picked me up in his arms and spun me around. “Holy fucking shit! You two make my head spin! You hate him, you love him, you get engaged! You get pregnant!”
“It’s like a romance book!” Amelia shouted as Steed pulled back from her hug.
“Are you happy?” they both asked at the same time.
“Yes!” I answered.
“Hell yes, I’m happy!” Steed replied.
“How far along do you think you are?”
“Well, I’m almost positive I know when we conceived.”
Amelia covered her heart with her hand. “How romantic! When?”
I couldn’t help it, I busted out laughing and so did Steed. “October.”
Amelia glanced back and forth between us and then a horrified look moved over her face. “My cabin?”
Steed nodded. “Hey, did I ever give you that bandana back, Meli?”
Thanksgiving Day
Melanie and my mother quickly moved about the kitchen. I couldn’t help but smile as I watched them talk and laugh. I also couldn’t help the small amount of guilt I had for insisting my mother not talk to me about Melanie or any of the Parkers. She eventually stopped spending time with Melanie and that broke my heart. They had been the best of friends and the reason I met Steed at such an early age. Our families had traveled together. Vacations, Sea World, Six Flags, and Steed and I were always joined at the hip. Then one day…we fell in love.
Melanie placed a dish of stuffing on the island and stopped to look at me.
“Paxton, are you feeling okay?”
My eyes lifted from the yummy cornbread stuffing to meet hers. “Yes! Why do you ask?”
She shrugged, then tilted her head. “You seem flushed.”
Lifting my hands to my cheeks, I smiled. “I feel fine. Just thinking of how we used to spend our family vacations together.”
Melanie smiled. “That was fun. But still, you seem a bit off. You’re sure you’re okay? All that cooking last night got to you, didn’t it?”
“No! I loved it!” I answered as Chloe climbed up on the stool next to me.
“Paxton spent the night in the guest room,” Chloe busted out as my mother and Melanie looked at Chloe, then me. Little stinker ratted me out.
I had told Steed I didn’t think I should stay, but he wanted to celebrate the baby and since I had the cooking party with his family yesterday afternoon, Steed said he needed to be with me. Who was I to say no?
“Is that so?” my mother asked with a huge smile.
“Yep. Aunt Meli stayed too.”
I grinned. Ha! Take that! Steed only had to pay her two hundred dollars for that little favor.
“Yep, but poor Paxton was throwing up this morning before Daddy took her back home. Daddy had to pull over, and she got sick again. Ain’t that right, Paxton?”
“Isn’t that right. Ain’t isn’t a word, Chloe Cat,” I said, attempting to keep my voice still and unaffected.
She snapped her fingers and peered up. “Darn it. Why don’t I ever remember that?”
A quick survey of the area, and I saw Amelia. I went to call for her when my mother said, “Not feeling good, huh?”
Don’t. Look. In. Her. Face.
“Yeah, I’m sure it was something I ate last night.”
Melanie leaned over and said, “Chloe, sweetheart, will you go find Uncle Trevor? I need him to do me a favor. He’s around here somewhere.”
Chloe’s eyes lit up. “Okay, Grammy! I’ll go find him.”
Watching her run off, I slid off the stool. A voice stopped me.
“Stay, Paxton Lynn Monroe.”
Shit.
I took in a deep breath and blew it. Act normal. Just be yourself, I chanted to myself.
“Did y’all need help?” I asked with a fake grin.
